The Reason
by Jynx316
Summary: Why did Kimberly send Tommy "the letter"? Rated PG-13, just in case... Chapter 3, now up!
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: The locations, characters, and whatnot used herein are the property of Saban and/or Disney, except as follows. Renee and Trevor are the property of Vespera from Tabletsofdestiny.com, and I used them only because I needed a name for Kim's friends in Florida. They are not the same characters from any of her fanfics. The song is "Toy Soldiers" by Martika. I know that Tommy and Kim were probably only being born as the song was big, but hey, I was around, and I thought the song fit.

__

It wasn't my intention to mislead you

It never should have been this way.

What can I say?

Its true, I did extend the invitation,

I never knew how long you'd stay.

When you hear temptation call,

It's your heart that takes,

Takes the fall.

I know how your memory is, Tommy, so you probably don't remember the song. You played it for me shortly after we started dating, saying how much you would love to hear me sing this "classic". Now, granted, I wouldn't consider a song from the 80s as being a classic, but to each their own. 

I know you probably have gotten on with your life. I know you and Kat are probably together as we speak (I saw how she hugged you after the fight). But, after seeing you again, after you saved me on Muranthias, I realized how stupid it was for me to have sent you that letter. I owe you a huge explanation, one I fully plan on giving you when I get back. I don't blame you if you're still angry with me for it, but… But I want you to at least hear my words. I'll be staying in Florida for a few more months, until the Pan-Global's are over. If you're willing to at least hear me out, wait for me at "our" spot at the lake. Maybe then I can explain what I was thinking, I hope.

Love Always,

"Beautiful"

Kimberly

It's getting hard to wake up in the Morning.

My head is swimming constantly.

How can it be?

How could I be blind to this addiction?

If I don't stop, the next ones gonna be me.

Only emptiness remains

If replaces all, all the pain.

Tommy read the words written on the page, the handwriting almost as familiar to him as his own. He found the simple note taped to his locker after he finished competing in the Martial Arts tournament he, Jason, and Adam had won for the Little Angel's Haven. He knew Kimberly had watched the fight, and saw her there, congratulating them after they won. But he hadn't seen her at the party afterwards, even though he knew Jason invited her. Not that he needed to.

After the tournament, time had flown so quickly. First it was getting used to the new Turbo powers they had created to travel through the Nemesis Triangle to save Jason and Kimberly. Then, it was Graduation. Then, choosing their replacements as Rangers. And last was being asked by his Uncle John to race for his team. But it all made him think about Kim._ Not TO strung up on her, are ya? _He thought to himself.

At first, when she first left, he thought it was just trying to get used to her not being there. Not in the Juice Bar, watching as he showed kids Martial Arts. Not being at Aisha's house, working on who knows what for school. Not being at the Mall, shopping until he had blisters on his feet from helping her carry all of her new clothes. Having Kat around in Kim's place wasn't too helpful, either. Tommy grinned to himself, thinking of at least a few times when he would rush to Kat's side during a fight, only to hear her Australian accent flow out of the Pink Ranger helmet.

And after "the" letter arrived, it was even worse. He would walk into the Juice Bar, and see the seat she always sat in at "their" table. Or would pass her favorite little boutique in the mall. He couldn't count the number of times in that first month when he had to leave where he was to keep from breaking into tears. The only comfort he had was that she was at least happy. She may not love him anymore, but he still cared about her. _And if she was happy with another, good for her._ He thought to himself. Now, if only he could convince his heart of what his head understood.

He almost had, too, if it wasn't for Divatox. When she kidnapped two humans, she had to pick the two people closest to Tommy. Jason, his best friend and brother he never had (_Until I met the brother I never head_, Tommy thought, ruefully.), and Kimberly, the love of his life. He and the other Rangers had rushed to help the pair, though the others did it because it was their duty as Rangers. Tanya, the then Yellow Ranger, knew Jason only as the temporary Gold Ranger, but knew how close he and Tommy were. Justin, the Blue Turbo Ranger, Rocky's replacement, didn't know either of them, but followed the older Rangers without question. Kat, the Pink Ranger, knew how close Tommy and Kim had been before the letter, and had even attempted to help him through the rough period afterwards. She knew she was being the "rebound" girl, but she cared for Tommy a lot, and would help as best she could. But, just like Tanya, she only knew Jason from his time as the Gold Ranger. Only Adam, the Green Ranger, knew how much both of them meant to Tommy. Tommy laughed at that. He, the former and original Green Ranger, had been beside himself, and the only one who knew completely how he felt, was the current Green Ranger. _Life's little ironies._

Seeing Kimberly in danger brought all of those emotions Tommy had almost buried back to the surface, and he realized, in that split second, that he would never be over Kimberly Ann Hart. He wanted to talk to her after the competition, but she disappeared on him, almost as well as any of them had when they could Teleport. He gave up after twenty minutes of asking if people had seen her, and finally went back to get changed. It was there that he found this note taped to his locker. He read it, and again, found himself on the verge of tears. He read over her words, and found himself responding aloud to them. "Of course I remember that song… And I know it was from the 80s. We were kids then, and isn't that when most people consider "classics"… I've never gotten over you… Kat and me? Maybe for a little while… Yeah, you do…"

Tommy folded the paper back up, and slipped into his pocket. He had read it almost daily since he found it, making sure that he hadn't imagined it all. And each day, he read the same words. She was going to come back, and explain what happened. Tommy tried not to be too excited about it, but the others knew something was up. Kat was finally the one who asked him. "What is going on, Tommy?" Tommy could hardly contain himself as he explained it to Kat. Even though they had long ago decided that they weren't good as a couple, they were very close friends, and she was happy for him.

So, here he was, after receiving a letter saying that Kim was finally coming home, waiting for her at their spot by the lake. He wanted to go and meet her at the airport, wanted to wrap his arms around her again, but did as she asked him too. He chided himself for being so excited. For all he knew, she wanted to explain what happened because she was getting married to this "other guy", and wanted to close that chapter of her life. But, if that was the case, why had she signed her letter with "Love Always" and "Beautiful"? Even in High School, when she would write him notes and pass them to him in the hall, she never signed it with his nickname for her. 

Tommy stared out over the water, tossing a rock or two in to pass the time as he waited. He laughed to himself, thinking about how long he had taken to get ready. _Kim would probably laugh her rear end off if she knew how nervous I was_. He had taken most of the time deciding what he would wear. Not being a Ranger any longer, he didn't feel a particular need to dress in his color any more. _She always called me her White Knight._ _White… _He looked down at the white tee shirt, black jeans, and white boots. He even took the time to blow dry his hair out, taking painful care to make sure it was straight. _She did say she liked it straight, back then._

Tommy was beginning to worry that she stood him up, when he heard someone walking up from behind him. "Kim?" He said, raising himself up. As he turned, he saw a shorter female figure, wearing a pink tank top and plain blue jeans. Her caramel colored hair flowed down over her shoulder, done into a braid. But the thing that caught his attention, and always had, was her doe-like eyes, baring her soul to the world. _Or at least, they always did to me. _Not able to control himself any longer, he rushed forward, and caught her in a tight embrace. "God, Kim, I've missed you." Tommy could no longer control himself, and all the tears he had forced himself not to shed over the past few months finally began to fall.

Kim returned his embrace, squeezing him almost as tightly as he squeezed her. She pulled back, and noticed his wet cheeks. "Hey, I thought it was us ladies who were supposed to lose control of our emotions." She laughed, wiped the tears from his cheeks and eyes, and sighed. "I'm sorry."

Tommy looked at her in shock. Here he was, making a huge fuss over her, and she was apologizing. "What for?"

"The letter. I never should have wrote it." Tommy again looked upon her with shock. He knew she wanted to talk about it, but was surprised when she practically started their conversation with it. "I want to get this out in the open before we do or say anything else. That way, after you hear it, if you get upset, I can go, and I won't have wasted your evening." Tommy started to protest, but then noticed that her eyes were beginning to moisten. He nodded his agreement as he led her to a nearby bench.

"Where do I start… It all started practically when I arrived in Florida. Everyone there was so… dispassionate about everything else BUT their gymnastics, I felt so alone. I mean, I loved everything I was doing down there, but I had other interests. I tried to get to know people down there, and everytime I tried, they looked at me like I was a kid who was bothering them." Kim sniffled, as she gently brushed a tear from her cheek.

"After awhile, the only things that could make me smile anymore where actual practices and our phone calls. And even then, I couldn't count on your calls, since I never knew when you were gonna call," she turned towards Tommy, who cringed.

"I'm sorry, Beautiful."

Kim blushed at hearing him use her nickname. It had been so long. She missed it so much. "It's not your fault, Tommy. You couldn't help if you were… indisposed a lot of the time. But then, one day, Renee, my roommate, said she didn't understand why I was waiting around for you, when you were probably out running the town with Kat."

"Why would she think I'd be out with Kat?" Tommy asked.

"Because I showed her a picture of the two of you, and she commented about how cute a couple you two would make." Kim laughed. "And I think she was a little jealous that I has such a hunk for a boyfriend." Now it was time for Tommy to blush. "Anyways, she brought a friend of hers over to our room one night. She introduced us, and, after we began talking, she disappeared. Then, Trevor, that was his name, leaned over and started kissing on me. I tried to push him off of me, but… god, it had been so long since anyone had kissed me like that." She stopped, and looked away from Tommy, her shoulders lightly bobbing from her sobs.

Tommy pulled her closer to him, slipping an arm around her shoulder. "Its OK, Kim. I'm not here to judge you. I'm here cause you wanted to explain it to me. And because I love you." She looked up at him, quizzically.

"Even after all that I did?"

"Even after all that. When did all this happen?" he asked, trying to prompt her back to her story.

"It was right around Valentine's Day. I hadn't seen you, or really even heard from you since I was here for Christmas, and I was even more depressed then normal, mostly from it being Valentine's Day. But, back to my story. He started kissing me, and I couldn't help myself… I kept telling myself that it was wrong to be doing this, when you were in Angel Grove. But, my body wasn't listening to reason." She looked to Tommy, who had his eyes shut, silently nodding. "Tommy… nothing more happened." His eyes flew open, as he looked at her, his gaze a mix of shock, relief, and disbelief.

"He kissed me for awhile, but when he tried to go further, I stopped him. I asked him what he thought he was doing. He told me that he wanted to get to know me 'in the Biblical sense'. I was shocked. I smacked him and told him to get out. He left, but I still felt horrible about what had happened. I sat down and wrote that damned letter. But every time I tried to tell you what happened, all I could see was how angry you got when I told you I had been weak, even for a moment. Finally, I wrote that I had found someone else. And, even though it was a lie, I knew that if you thought I was happy you wouldn't be mad. And that was what I wanted, Tommy. I knew it would hurt when you read that letter, but I knew you would be happy for me if I had someone else that made me happy…"

"Except you didn't." Tommy finished for her.

Kimberly nodded. "The day I sent that letter in the mail was the worst day of my life. And it showed in everything I did. I nearly lost my place at the Pan Global's because of how it affected me. The only thing that helped me was the fact that, during our last break, Jason showed up. I saw him, and immediately poured my soul out to him. I knew if he could help me talk to you, maybe I could explain what happened, and make things right. He then told me about the Little Angel's Haven, and the competition. We decided to come back and help out, and while we were there, I'd get a chance to explain."

"But then Divatox happened."

"Yeah. But, seeing you again, and especially you saving me from that… it made me realize that you still cared, even though I hurt you. And I still cared for you…" she started to trail off, wiping her eyes.

"Why did you leave so quickly? We could have talked then."

"Because, I saw how you looked at me, that same old love in your eyes, and it scared me. How could you still love me that much after everything I did? I figured that, if you still loved me like that, then maybe I could push myself to do what I dreamed, push past the pain I had caused myself. If I could do that, then I could confront you with what I had done. But I needed to prove myself to myself before I could do that."

"Which is why you asked me to meet you here. I get it."

"I wish I could take that letter back, Tommy. I wish I could pretend it never happened, and we could go back to how we used to be. But I know I can't. And I know you're probably disappointed in me…"

"Kim, you confronted something that nearly defeated you, and you were strong enough to admit to a mistake you made. Am I upset about you lying to me? Of course. But, I can understand why you did. And I'm glad you came back to tell me."

Kimberly looked up at him, her doe eyes red from tears, and her cheeks streaky from crying. "Does this mean I'm forgiven?"

"No," he said, and saw the fear in her eyes, then allowed himself to smile softly. "This does…" he leaned down, and kissed her lips gently. He had been waiting for this moment for months, maybe even longer. He was finally back together with the woman he loved, and he would never let himself lose her again. "I love you, Beautiful."

"I love you, too, Tommy."

He stood up, and offered his hand to her. She smiled, and took it, and as they walked from their spot, arm in arm, neither of them saw the person walk out of the trees who had been watching them the entire time. "That's right, Kim-kim. Just keep on going, pretending I was nothing…"


	2. Chapter 2

It had been two weeks since Kimberly had returned home, and Tommy had never been happier. It was as if he had regained a portion of his soul he didn't realize he had been missing. _I think I might have._ He looked over at Kimberly, who was leaning against his shoulder, asleep, as they sat in the Movie Theater, watching whatever sappy romance movie she had wanted to see. When they dated before, when they were both Rangers, such a date wouldn't have been possible. An attack by Rita or Zedd could come at anytime, and it would be difficult to get out of a crowded movie theater easily.

Tommy slipped his arm around Kimberly's shoulder, and gently shook her, rousing her from her slumber. "Hey, Beautiful. Time to wake up." The words immediately brought a smile to both of their faces. It was those words that he used to rouse her when he reappeared as the White Ranger. She had fainted as he pulled his helmet off that time, so shocked that it was he. "Have a good nap?" he asked her.

"Mmmmm. Dreamt about you," she murmured sleepily. "What happened?"

"Dunno. With your snoring, I couldn't hear what was happening," Tommy said, laughing. Kimberly punched him lightly on the shoulder.

"Jerk. I do not snore. I think."

"Just keep telling yourself that, Kim. I'm sure one of these days you'll believe it." He stood, and offered her his hand to rise herself from the theater seat. "Feel up for Ice Cream, or you wanna head home?"

"Don't want to go home. Means I have to leave you," she responded, smiling up at him.

"I've actually been meaning to ask you about that. Where are you staying? With your Mom in Paris and your Dad in Seattle, I know you're not staying with them…"

"Mostly with friends. Kat's family is still here in town, even though she moved to London for school, so I've stayed there, with their invitation. Why?"

"Well, I know its kinda a big step, but… I've got a spare bedroom at my place, and I was wondering…"

"Tommy, that's sweet, but don't you think you should talk to your Mom before you offer me a spare room?"

Tommy couldn't help but smile to himself. "Not when she doesn't live there." Kim looked at him with confusion plain on her face. "I told you how I was driving for my Uncle right before and after I left the Rangers, right?" Kim nodded. Tommy had begun carrying a cell phone at that point, and she had been calling him on that. It was a lot easier then leaving a message, and waiting for him to get it. "Well, I won several big purses, and bought myself a place. Its not really more then a large apartment, but its got a place for me to lay my head. Its also got a spare room that David was using for a little bit there, before he left to go to school." She nodded again. David was Tommy's brother he told her about meeting sometime during his stint as a Zeo Ranger.

"Tommy, are you offering to let me… live with you?" Kim asked, her face turning what Tommy thought was a very cute shade of pink.

"If you'd like. No pressure. If you'd like, we can go there right now, and you can look over it. Plus, its over this store front, and I've been thinking about finding out how much it would cost to open my own school there."

Kimberly blushed again, and nodded. If nothing else, she wanted to see where Tommy wanted to open his Martial Arts School. He had talked about it for so long, and she knew how much it meant to him to actually be able to open it. "Sure. Let's go take a look."

***

Tommy pulled his truck to a stop outside a fairly modern looking storefront. Brick, glass, and metal adorned the walls, allowing passers-by to peer within the open room. As they approached, Tommy pulled out a ring of keys, and began to unlock the door.

"I thought you said you were only thinking about buying this place?" Kim asked, a gentle smile crossing her face.

"I am. The owner is a friend of my uncle's, and he said I could look over the place. He's also letting me use it to workout in." Tommy pointed to a corner as he opened the door and turned on the light, indicating a small workout bench.
    
    "Nice little place, ya got here." Kim said, looking around. Wide open, mats covering some of the floors and walls, mirrors on other walls. It looked almost like all the dojos out of Tommy's Martial Arts movies. The only thing missing was a wise old man meditating and some bamboo doors.

"Well, it's still a long way from being finished. I have to make sure everything is structurally sound, and can take having people thrown around on it all the time. Then comes advertising for the school, supplies, equipment…" he trailed off momentarily. "But, if it works, it'll be worth it. I'll have another dream I can check off of my list."

"What was the other?" Kim asked as she walked over to the mirrors. Tommy stepped behind her, and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back to him. She smiled, and leaned against him.

"Having you back," he said, kissing her cheek softly. Kimberly sighed softly, turning her head to look out of the front windows. It was then that Kimberly screamed.

"What?" Tommy said, shocked, almost letting her slip out of his arms as she squirmed away from the windows.

"It can't be. He couldn't have followed me!" she said to herself, not hearing Tommy.

"Kimberly! What is it?"

"I… I… think I just saw… 'Him'!" Tommy snapped his head towards the window. In the weeks since she explained why she sent the letter, Kimberly also told him how Trevor, the man she kissed, had become somewhat obsessed with her afterwards. He started showing up and watching her during practices, trailing behind her as she went for a jog, and showing up at the restaurant she went to with her friends. She tried calling the cops, but everytime she did, they weren't able to find any trace of him. 

The last time she saw him was when Jason showed up. He walked up to Jason, and brazenly told him to "stay away from my girl". Trevor was lucky Kimberly was there, or Jason might not have stopped after the first punch to the nose. The sickening crack was enough to satisfy Jason, and the police who showed up minutes later thank the man who finally was able to stop the man stalking Kimberly. "Next time, though, try not to draw so much blood," the cops said to him, smiling. Both Kim and Jason realized that Jason was going to get off without any punishment. It was then that Jason told Kim about the Martial Arts competition, and they headed to Angel Grove.

Tommy ran over to the door, opened it, and looked outside. Despite the dark, Tommy was able to see a fair distance thanks to the lights from inside the dojo. He looked around, but saw no one. He turned back around, closed the door, and locked it. _No sense in giving him an easy time getting in, if Kim saw what she thought._ He turned back to where he left Kim, who was now lying on the floor, passed out. He ran over, and shook her gently. _Nothing._ Lifting her gently, Tommy carried her up the steps to his apartment upstairs.

***

Tommy pushed the door to his apartment open, thankful that, due to the stairway from the "dojo" below, he didn't need to lock this particular door. _Trying to unlock a door with an unconscious young lady in my arms might have been a little difficult._ He laid her down on the couch, and walked into the bathroom to grab a washcloth, wetting it down with cool water. He walked back to the couch, and gently brushed the cool cloth against her forehead and cheeks. Slowly, after a few minutes, Kimberly began to come around. "Wh… where am I?"

"Don't worry, Beautiful. You're safe," Tommy answered her, pressing the damp cloth to her forehead. "We're upstairs, in my apartment, and the doors are all locked. No one can get in here, unless we want them in."

Kimberly blushed, and looked up at Tommy, a rueful grin crossing her lips. "I fainted, didn't I?"

Tommy grinned, and shrugged. "I just figured you were tired, and figured the floor downstairs looked comfy." Kimberly chuckled at this, and stuck her tongue out at Tommy. "Cute," he said, pushing her tongue back in her mouth with his fingertip. Feeling playful, Kim bit softly on his finger, not letting him pull it out, and sucked gently on it. Tommy laughed, which caused Kim to laugh, letting his finger go. "Feel better?"

"Physically, yes," she said, grunting as she sat herself upright. "But emotionally… Not until I stop seeing him everywhere."

"I don't want to sound cruel, but, are you sure you saw him? Maybe it was just a trick of the light…"

"I saw him just as sure as I'm seeing you right now. I just don't know how he found me. I haven't seen him since Jason broke his nose, so he couldn't have heard that I was planning on coming back here," Kimberly sighed heavily. "Maybe I am going crazy. There's no way he could have found out I was leaving…"

"Kim, if you said you saw him, then you saw him. You're not crazy. And, as there might be some crazed man out there, trying to attack you, or who knows what else, you will be staying here tonight." Kim looked over at Tommy, smiled lightly, but then frowned. 

"I can't stay here, Tommy. I don't want to be a bother…"

"You were more a bother when you weren't here, Beautiful."

Kim blushed. Even now, two weeks after explaining what happened in Florida, she still couldn't believe how easily he had taken her back. "I'm sorry," she started, but before she could finish, Tommy pressed his fingers to her lips.

"Shh. We've already gone over that. You are here by forgiven for any wrong doings you might have done in Florida. You're back, and that's all that matters." To punctuate the sentiment, he leaned over, and gently kissed her lips.

"What will I sleep in?" Kimberly looked into Tommy's eyes, biting gently on her lower lip.

"Well, what do you normally sleep in?" Tommy asked as he rose, offering his hand to her. "I've got some spare t shirts which would be big enough for a night shirt. And I think I've got a few pairs of flannel PJs Mom has gotten for me." He looked back at her, and noticed she was blushing even more then normal. "What?"

"Nothing."

"OK, why are you blushing, then?" he asked, not understanding.

"No. You asked what I normally wore to sleep in, and I answered. Nothing." Kim was now a bright shade of red, rivaled only by Tommy's previous Ranger outfits.

"Oh," Tommy said, realizing he was now blushing. Try as he might, he couldn't help but picture Kim, asleep. He thought his old, High School thoughts of her in baby doll nighties were intense. But to have her admit to him that she slept in the nude…_Whoa._

"Well, you did ask. And I figure we should be honest from now on, right? And no, I didn't sleep in the nude when I slept over at Trini's or Aisha's, so get that idea out of your head right now, mister." Tommy smiled, and nodded. "Good. Then, I have one other thing I want to say." Tommy nodded again, and waited for her to speak. Kim inhaled deeply, and spoke before the courage left her. "I want to sleep with you. JUST sleep. I want to lie with you, and have you hold me tightly, and not have to worry about anything else in the world."

She looked up at him, her doe eyes slightly damp. He smiled at her, wiping the stray tears from her cheek. "Of course you can sleep with me, Kim. And I'll only do what you want me to. No more, no less." Kim threw her arms around his neck, and hugged him tightly. 

Kim pulled back, and wiped at her own face, brushing aside the few remnants of tears. "Now, you said you had some Flannel PJs?"

***

Trevor walked into the dive he was renting out, only a block away from Tommy's apartment. He smiled evily to himself. "I'm here, Kim-kim. And I don't care if your White Knight is here to protect you. No one does what you did to me and gets away with it. No one."

He walked over to a suitcase, and opened it slowly. Inside were dozens and dozens of pictures, all of Kimberly. Some were pictures taken at the Pan Global's. Some were of her with the other gymnasts, but outside of competition. And a few were taken through her window at the training facility, in various stages of undress. 

As Trevor looked over his pictures of Kim, an African-American woman walked out of the bathroom. Her statuesque body made her look like a supermodel, and she moved with the grace of a gymnast. Her only clothes were a towel around her wet body. Water still beaded on her shoulders and neck, making her mahogany skin glisten like it was covered with diamonds. "Hey, baby," she breathed, huskily. "Did you find her?"

Trevor looked up, and smiled. "Yeah, Ne. I did. And guess what, she found her Tommy boy, and they've made up." He laughed maniacally. "I think she saw me tonight, but when Prince Charming came out to look for me, I was no where to be found. I tell you, Renee, she's as good as ours." He pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. She let the towel drop from between them as they fell, pressed together, to the bed.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: The song featured in this installment is "Glory of Love" by Peter Satara. I don't own it, either.

Kimberly took the pajamas Tommy had lent her to sleep in into the bathroom, and began to change. She smiled at the thought about what had just happened. Tommy invited her to stay with him at his apartment, and she seriously thought about saying yes. She stripped out of her clothes, and pulled on the flannel set that Tommy gave her. She wouldn't tell him, but she always did love the way flannel felt against her skin. With an almost mischievous grin, she decided to forgo the bottoms, letting the long top cover her.

***

Tommy smiled as he pulled on his sleep pants. While the tartan design was rather hideous, it didn't matter since no one would ever see him in it. _Well, no one but Kim. _He turned as he heard the door to the bathroom open, and saw Kimberly walk out. She wore the top of his flannel PJs, but held the pants in her hands, letting her long legs show. She smiled at him, shyly, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. He smiled at her, sweeping both arms towards the bed, dipping down low in a mock bow. She giggled, laying the pants over a chair as she walked to the bed.

"Tommy, I know this is kinda… a big deal," Kimberly began. She blushed, turning her gaze from Tommy to the bed. She tried to continue, but her courage left her.

"Kim," Tommy said, running his hand through her hair. "Like I said before, we'll only do as much as you want to. If you're having second thoughts, I can go crash on the couch."

"No. I want to do this. I'm just… scared." She pulled him to her, and hugged him tightly. "I just don't want to do anything wrong."

Tommy sat down on the edge of the bed, and pulled her to his lap. "Kim. You won't. As long as you're true to yourself, you can never be wrong." He kissed her cheek softly, and patted the bed next to them. "Come on. It's getting late." She smiled, and slid off of his lap, pushing the covers down to allow her access. Holding the covers up, letting Tommy slide in next to her. Tommy kissed her softly, wrapping his arm around her waist as they both closed their eyes. Kimberly sighed in contentment as she drifted to sleep.

***

Kim tossed in the bed, feeling Tommy pressed up against her back. She smiled to herself, but then realized something. He was snoring. Again! _He was never this bad when we fell asleep on the couch watching movies._ She lightly elbowed him in the stomach, until he stopped snoring, and rolled away a bit. Happy in her victory, Kim rolled towards him, and nuzzled up against his chest, kissing him lightly as she tried to fall back asleep. However, just as she began to relax, Tommy's phone began to ring. Startled out of his sleep, Tommy bolted up. Stumbling out of his bed, turning an apologetic look to Kim, he answered it.

"'Lo?" Tommy looked at the phone for a moment. "Hello?" Tommy set the phone back on the cradle. "No one was there."

Kim looked at the clock. "A prank caller? At 5:30?"

"Seems that way." Tommy yawned, and then sighed. "Well, my alarm is set to go off in about an hour. Should we try to go back to sleep, or should we just make the best of being up?"

Kim grinned to herself. "And what would we do at 5:30 in the morning?"

"Well, there's always breakfast. Or we could go down to the park and take a jog. Or…"

"You'd rather be out jogging in the cold then lying in a warm bed, next to a beautiful woman?" Kim asked him huskily. She held the blankets open for him, patting where he laid just moments previously. "Come here, Tommy." Tommy smiled, and slid back into the bed, pulling Kim close to him.

"What did I do to have you in my life, Kim?"

"I was thinking the same thing. Well, in reverse, but you know what I mean." She looked up at him. "Tommy, promise me something."

"Anything, Beautiful."

"Promise me everything's gonna be OK. Promise me that the nightmare I left in Florida is left there, and isn't coming after me."

Tommy kissed the top of Kim's head softly, stroking her hair. "I promise you, Kim. No one's gonna hurt you anymore." Kim smiled, hugging Tommy from where she lay. "Now, lets try to get a little more sleep. K?" Kim nodded, and they both slid further into the covers. Tommy closed his eyes, and rolled onto his side, as Kim pressed up against his back. Moments later, he felt her moving around, and then heard something hit the floor. He started to turn towards her, but then her hand snaked its way to his chest, and he settled back down. He felt her press up against him again, but noticed something was missing. "Ummm, Kim?"

"Shhhh. I told you last night. I'm not used to sleeping in anything. And… I trust you enough to not try anything with me like this." She kissed the back of his neck, and snuggled closer to him. Suddenly, Tommy was acutely aware of what was pressed against his back. He reached behind him, and gently squeezed her hand, pulling it around to his front.

"It's alright, Kim. Just kinda… surprising."

"Sorry."

Tommy smiled, and laughed softly. "Don't be. Can't think of anyone I'd rather be pressed up against me naked." Kim laughed, and playfully smacked him. He squeezed her hand again. "G'night, Kim."

"G'night Tommy. Love you."

"Love you too."

***

Tommy's alarm went off an hour later. Tommy shut it off quickly, so that it wouldn't bother Kim anymore then it had. He turned to her, making sure she was still asleep. She was, lying on her stomach, her face turned towards him, peacefully dreaming. He kissed her cheek softly, and pulled himself off of the bed, and searched for his sweats. _Wonder if I should wake Kim up before I leave?_ _Naw. She had a hard enough time getting to sleep last night. Let her sleep._ Tommy pulled his sweat pants on, along with a white T-shirt, and softly left to take his morning jog.

He returned 20 minutes later, Tommy returned from his jog. He stepped into his room to grab a change of clothes, and looked to Kim, making sure she was still asleep. She was, but she had rolled some since he left, causing the blanket to pull down some, revealing to his eyes, for the first time, her unclothed body. Tommy could feel himself blushing, and knew he shouldn't stare, even though he knew he was. Smiling to himself, Tommy walked over, and pulled the blanket back over Kim's sleeping form, and went to take a shower. 

Tommy undressed himself, and stepped into the warm water of the shower. He began to lather his long hair, and started singing to himself. _She really has changed things. Singing in the shower?_

__

Tonight is very clear.

'Cause we're both lying here.

There's so many things I wanna say

I will always love you

I would never leave you alone.

Some times I just forget

Say things I might regret

It breaks my heart

To see you cryin'

I don't wanna lose you.

I could never make it alone.

Kimberly awoke to singing coming from the bathroom, and the sound of the shower running. She rolled over to look at the clock. _Almost 7. Guess I should get up._ She pulled herself out of the bed, realizing she was naked. She saw the flannel top lying on the floor, and remembered taking it off earlier. Smiling to herself, Kim decided to go into the bathroom. Tommy's voice came drifting out as she approached, and she realized he was singing one of her favorite songs. It always made her think of him, especially after the letter. Kim could feel herself tearing up a little, but then stopped herself. _Tommy said I was forgiven. He's not mad about what happened, so there's no reason to dwell on the past._ She opened the door quietly, and listened to him for just a moment.

__

I am the man who will fight

For your honor.

I'll be the hero

You're dreaming of.

We'll live forever

Knowing together

That we did it all

For the glory of love.
    
    Kim made a decision. She slowly opening the shower curtain, and saw Tommy standing there, singing his heart out, washing the rest of the shampoo out of his hair. Already undressed, Kim stepped in, trying not to make a sound, and stepped up behind him. She reached up, and ran her fingers through his hair, causing him to jump slightly. "Ahhh! Kim… what…?"

"Shhhh. Tommy, I… I want…" She blushed a bright shade of crimson as she realized he was taking in the sight of her nude form. _Why am I so nervous? I wasn't even this nervous when I flashed Billy all those years ago._ The thought brought a smile to her face. "I want you to see me. No. More then that. I want you to…" She couldn't finish what she was trying to say. Tommy reached a hand out to her, cupping her cheek softly. Kim found herself looking over his body, amazed at the chiseled features she had always taken for granted. She had seen his bronzed chest many times before, but, somehow, this was different. She looked up to his eyes, and spoke, her voice barely raising above a whisper. "Make love to me."

***

Renee murmured as she awoke, realizing immediately that Trevor was no longer at her side. Not that this shocked her. He was never there when she woke up. He was always staring at one of his pictures. She thought back to when they started this little endeavor. 

***

Renee sat down in the common room at Gunther Schmidt's Training Facility. She had already been there for three months, but everytime she was getting better then the others, some new hotshot showed up to upstage her. The latest had been this Kim Hart bitch. Bad enough that she grasped hold of each routine as soon as she was shown it, but she had to room with the little miss-goody-two-shoes. _I swear, I think Schmidt hates me_. _Why else would he put me with little Miss Perfect?_

Suddenly, the world went dark as someone's hands covered her eyes. Everyone knew how much she hated that, so she knew it could be only one person. "Trevor? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Well, hello to you too. I just so happened to get a job with my favorite troublemaker's coach, as an assistant." He smiled widely. His smiled faded as he watched someone walk by. "Hello. Who is that?" Renee followed his line of sight, and visibly grimaced as she turned back. 

"That is the bitch I'm forced to room with, Kim Hart. Don't waste your time," she said, cutting him off. "She's got a boyfriend back home in California."

"So? When has that ever stopped US before?" he said, laughing, pulling her to him, and kissing her forcefully. However, he never let his eyes stray from the backside of Kim Hart. She returned the kiss with equal force, knowing where his eyes were still plastered. He pulled back away from her, smiling evilly. "I think I have a plan…"

***


End file.
